Window Cleaning – History, Tools, and More
What to do when cleaning a window? What tools are we supposed to use? Did you leave streaks when washing your window? How do the professional Los Angeles window cleaners do it? Dust particles are just sitting there in our window. It can cause asthma and allergies. It isn’t right to just let it sit there.
Before anything else, let us take a look at the history of the most popular glass cleaning tool, the squeegee.
The History of the Squeegee
A squeegee is a tool with a flat and smooth rubber blade. It was first used as a wooden bladed tool with long handles by fishermen to scrape fish blood, scales, and to push water off the boat deck.
During the 20th century, people needed a more efficient tool for cleaning windows. That’s when the window squeegee was invented. The first squeegee used by the professional window cleaners was a heavy “Chicago squeegee”. It is a bulky tool with two heavy rubber blades and 12 screws.
Then in 1936, an Italian immigrant invented a squeegee that is still known, widely used, and one of the best squeegees. His name is Ettore Steconne. He migrated to the US in 1921. He then chose window cleaning as his profession.
Since the tools he used where heavy and bulky, he decided to create a better and lighter squeegee made of brass handle and a single sharp rubber blade. He first named it as NEW DEAL. And as the time went on, it took a new named, the ETTORE master.
Types of Squeegees
There are different types of squeegees:
1. Window Squeegee (the most popular)
2. Floor Squeegees (mostly used in hospitals)
3. Silk Screen Squeegees
4. Stiff Blade Squeegees (used in applying grouts to tiles)
5. Horse Scraper (used on horses to remove sweat from its coat, similar to the window squeegee but with an arched blade.)
Tools Used by Professional Window Cleaners
1. Washer or Scrubber (this is to wash the windows with a solution. It removes a lot of dirt.)
2. Squeegee (to wipe excess water and suds)
3. Cleaning solutions
Cleaning Solutions
There are organic and non-organic cleaning solutions out there:
1. Vinegar solution (a mix of water, soap, and vinegar)
2. Commercially available cleaning solutions.
3. Dishwashing liquid with water
4. The Unger Pill
5. Water spot removers
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